The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. By Joseph Smith, President of Said Church. 2nd ed. Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1844; 3–448; includes typeset signature marks and copyright notice. The copy presented herein is held at CHL; includes marginalia and archival markings.

All but the final gathering of this book was printed in octodecimo format on thirteen sheets that were cut and folded into thirteen gatherings of eighteen leaves (thirty-six pages) each. The final gathering comprises eight leaves (sixteen pages). The text block measures 5⅞ × 3⅝ inches (15 × 9 cm).

The copy of the book presented herein is in a presentation binding of red sheepskin with gilt edges. The volume measures 6 × 3⅞ × 1 inches (15 × 10 × 3 cm). The spine is stamped with gilt ornamental panels and “Doctrine | and | Covenants” and “J. Glenn.” in gilt. The front and back pastedowns, the front flyleaf, and the back flyleaf are single-sided marbled leaves featuring a shell pattern with brown body and veins of red and white. In this copy, the first leaf of the first gathering, which is blank in other extant copies, is missing. The verso of the front flyleaf has two inscriptions, the first in graphite and the second in ink: “RN 69025 | Vault | Book Area | M223.1 | D632 | 1844” and “Jane Glenn | from her friend | Leonora Taylor | Nauvoo Oct 27th | 1844”. The handwriting of the first inscription is unknown; Leonora Taylor inscribed the second.

As the aforementioned ink inscription indicates, Leonora Taylor, wife of early church leader and printer

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from England...

The late 1830s and early 1840s were a period of rapid growth for the young church. As converts continued to join in large numbers, the need for a new edition of the Doctrine and Covenants became increasingly evident. In 1839, apostle

12 Apr. 1807–13 May 1857. Farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother William to acquire land, 1823....

Dutch founded New Netherland colony, 1625. Incorporated under British control and renamed New York, 1664. Harbor contributed to economic and population growth of city; became largest city in American colonies. British troops defeated Continental Army under...

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

See, for example, Charles Thompson, Batavia, NY, 2 Feb. 1841, Letter to the editor, Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1841, 2:349: “I would say further, there is a great call for Books of Mormon here: had I one hundred I could dispose of them all in a short time, and also the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and Hymn Books.”

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, New York City, NY, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 80–81; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Lucian Foster, Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 83–84; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to JS and Elias Higbee, Washington DC, 2 Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 92–93. This restriction did not apply in the mission in England, perhaps because of the cost of shipping books overseas from the United States. JS told the Quorum of the Twelve that he had no objection to the Doctrine and Covenants being published in England and that “if there is a great demand for them,” he “would rather encourage it.” (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to “Beloved Brethren,” [England], 15 Dec. 1840, JS Collection, CHL; see also H. Smith to P. Pratt, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 81.)

Though careful about the authority under which scripture such as the Doctrine and Covenants would be published, the leadership in Nauvoo made it clear that the publication of scripture was a top priority. Published minutes of a conference held in October 1840 indicated that another edition of the Book of Mormon was nearly completed and that arrangements had been made for printing the Doctrine and Covenants and the church hymnal.

“Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. The original minutes from which the published version came did not mention the Doctrine and Covenants. A First Presidency report published in the same issue of Times and Seasons stated that arrangements were being made for printing the Doctrine and Covenants. (General Church Minutes, 3 Oct. 1840; “Report from the Presidency,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:187–188.)

Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, July 1890, 302. Robinson acquired stereotyping equipment at least by early January 1841. Stereotyping, a common nineteenth-century printing practice, was intended to speed up the process of mass printing. After setting type for a page, the printer created a mold of the type, into which he poured hot lead, thereby creating a plate from which to print each page. This allowed the individual pieces of type to be reused to set additional pages. The plates could be reused for later printings. (Advertisement, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:272; Gaskell, New Introduction to Bibliography, 201–204.)

Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, May 1890, 259; see also “Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. Robinson was also coeditor and copublisher of the Nauvoo newspaper Times and Seasons through December 1840. Robinson and Don Carlos Smith began publishing that newspaper in 1839 as partners, but their partnership dissolved in “mutual consent” in mid-December 1840, with Smith taking charge of the newspaper and Robinson of the “Books, or Book & fancy printing.” Robinson began editing and publishing the newspaper again in August 1841, following the death of Don Carlos Smith. (“Dissolution,” Times and Seasons, 15 Dec. 1840, 2:256; “To the Patrons of the Times and Seasons,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:511.)

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

Principal U.S. river running southward from Itasca Lake, Minnesota, to Gulf of Mexico. Covered 3,160-mile course, 1839 (now about 2,350 miles). Drains about 1,100,000 square miles. Steamboat travel on Mississippi very important in 1830s and 1840s for shipping...

Bray, “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective,” 67–73; Notice, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615. Besides the two structures mentioned, Bray identifies two additional buildings in Nauvoo that housed the printing establishment for a time, but those other buildings were not being used for printing at the time the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants was printed.

to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A January 1842 revelation dictated by JS commanded the Twelve to “take in hand the Editorial department of the Times and Seasons,” ratifying a decision that had already been discussed in earlier meetings of the Quorum of the Twelve.

Woodruff, Journal, 3 Feb. 1842. The Twelve had already enjoyed success with printing a number of publications in England, such as the 1840 hymnal, printed in Manchester; the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, begun in May 1840; and the 1841 edition of the Book of Mormon, printed in Liverpool.

Ebenezer Robinson recalled telling JS and the other leaders “that they could have the Times and Seasons, but they must [also] take the whole establishment, including the stereotype foundery, book-bindery, and the whole book concern.”

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from England...

It is unknown who else assisted in the initial stereotyping, but Robinson’s departure delayed the project’s completion. Robinson recalled working with JS, comparing the 1830 and 1837 editions of the Book of Mormon in preparation for the publication of the 1840 edition.

JS’s involvement is hinted at in a notice printed in two issues of Times and Seasons in early 1842. After announcing that the office of the recorder (Willard Richards) would be open to receive tithing donations only on Saturdays, the notice explained: “This regulation is necessary, to give the Trustee [JS] and Recorder time to arrange the Book of Mormon, New Translation of the Bible, Hymn Book, and Doctrine and Covenants for the press; all of which the brethren are anxious to see, in their most perfect form.” (“Tithings and Consecrations,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1842, 3:667; 1 Feb. 1842, 3:677.)

Whatever the preparatory process, the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants is—in content, arrangement, basic format, and section and verse numbering—largely a reprint of the 1835 edition. The 1844 edition matches the 1835 edition almost word for word and character for character, except for minor corrections and stylistic changes and a few substantive changes.

The 1844 edition made light changes in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and versification. These changes included employing British spelling for some words, such as “Savior” (Saviour). Aside from adding eight new sections (as discussed later in this introduction), the 1844 edition made only a small number of substantive changes. For example, the phrase “and we beheld and lo, he is fallen! is fallen! even a son of the morning,” which appears in verse 3 of section 91 of the 1835 edition, was deleted in verse 3 of section 92 in the 1844 edition (Vision, 16 Feb. 1832 [D&C 76:27]). The deletion could have been accidental, since there is another phrase ending “son of the morning” earlier in the same sentence. A comprehensive study of the variants between the two editions is beyond the scope of this volume.

In what appears to be an end-of-year account, the work of stereotyping to page 409 was recorded on 30 December 1843. (“No 4 Joseph Smith a/c Dr as pr Printing Office Books,” ca. Jan. 1846, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.)

1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...

12 Apr. 1807–13 May 1857. Farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother William to acquire land, 1823....

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from England...

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 7 Nov. 1843; see also Woodruff, Journal, 7 Nov. 1843. A few weeks earlier, a newspaper notice called for donations to support the church’s printing establishment. (“End of the Third Volume,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1842, 3:958.)

By the following summer, the work was nearly complete. A notice dated 11 June 1844 and published the next day in the Nauvoo Neighbor announced optimistically: “The Book of Doctrine and Covenants will be published in about one month from this time. Those wishing for an early supply had better make immediate application.”

Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of anti-Mormon meetings and resolutions, early 1840s. Site...

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from England...

Taylor later recalled that before going to Carthage with JS and Hyrum Smith, he removed the “Type, Stereotype plates and most of the valuable things . . . from the printing office” for fear the office would be burned by enemies. (John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, p. 26, Historian’s Office, JS History Draft Notes, [ca. 1840–1880], CHL.)

Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of anti-Mormon meetings and resolutions, early 1840s. Site...

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from England...

announced that names would be taken of those desiring to purchase the volume at one dollar and twenty-five cents. Two weeks later, Phelps stated in another meeting that the “1000 copies [of the Doctrine and Covenants] are not all yet taken up,” suggesting that the books were sold by subscription.

12 Apr. 1807–13 May 1857. Farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother William to acquire land, 1823....

Because the book had been stereotyped, keeping it in print was practical. A second printing of the book was authorized the following year and a third in 1846, presumably indicating a short supply of the books and a growing demand.

The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 3rd ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1845); The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Reve[l]ations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 4th ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1846).

Besides the individuals identified above as having assisted with or overseen work on the publication, others may have contributed as compilers, editors, typesetters, or printers. A number of people worked in the

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

Located at four different sites from 1839–1846: cellar of warehouse on bank of Mississippi River, June–Aug. 1839; frame building on northeast corner of Water and Bain streets, Nov. 1839–Nov. 1841; newly built printing establishment on northwest corner of ...

at the time the volume was being produced, but records do not identify which of them had a hand in this project.

The 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants is essentially a reprint of the 1835 edition, with the addition of eight new items. The second edition reprinted the seven “Lectures on Faith” and all 103 numbered sections included in the “Covenants and Commandments” part of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. The 1835 edition included two sections numbered 66 (here referred to as 66a and 66b). This mistake was corrected in the 1844 edition. As a result, sections 1 through 66a of the 1835 edition correspond with sections 1 through 66 of the 1844 edition, and sections 66b through 99 in the 1835 edition correspond with sections 67 through 100 in the 1844 edition. The final three sections of the 1835 edition, sections 100 through 102, were numbered as sections 108 through 110 in the 1844 edition.

The eight new items added to the 1844 edition became sections 101 through 107 and section 111. Sections 101 and 102—both revelations regarding the redemption of Zion—were available for use in the 1835 publication but were not printed therein. Sections 103 (which was printed without a section number), 104, and 107 are JS revelations dictated after 1835. Sections 105 and 106 are JS letters written in the 1840s. Section 111, a tribute to the slain JS and

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from England...

, the publisher of the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants and an eyewitness to the murders. It was composed after most of the work on the volume had been completed. Only by using a smaller typeface than what appears in the rest of the volume were the printers able to fit this last section into the available space following section 110 and preceding a brief three-page “index.” The editors of the 1844 edition used a variety of sources to set type for these eight items.

The sources used by the editors contained other revelations and letters that would have been candidates for publication in the Doctrine and Covenants, and the reasons for selecting the particular revelations and letters that were included are unknown.

See, for example, Charles Thompson, Batavia, NY, 2 Feb. 1841, Letter to the editor, Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1841, 2:349: “I would say further, there is a great call for Books of Mormon here: had I one hundred I could dispose of them all in a short time, and also the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and Hymn Books.”

Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, New York City, NY, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 80–81; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Lucian Foster, Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 83–84; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to JS and Elias Higbee, Washington DC, 2 Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 92–93. This restriction did not apply in the mission in England, perhaps because of the cost of shipping books overseas from the United States. JS told the Quorum of the Twelve that he had no objection to the Doctrine and Covenants being published in England and that “if there is a great demand for them,” he “would rather encourage it.” (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to “Beloved Brethren,” [England], 15 Dec. 1840, JS Collection, CHL; see also H. Smith to P. Pratt, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 81.)

“Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. The original minutes from which the published version came did not mention the Doctrine and Covenants. A First Presidency report published in the same issue of Times and Seasons stated that arrangements were being made for printing the Doctrine and Covenants. (General Church Minutes, 3 Oct. 1840; “Report from the Presidency,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:187–188.)

Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, July 1890, 302. Robinson acquired stereotyping equipment at least by early January 1841. Stereotyping, a common nineteenth-century printing practice, was intended to speed up the process of mass printing. After setting type for a page, the printer created a mold of the type, into which he poured hot lead, thereby creating a plate from which to print each page. This allowed the individual pieces of type to be reused to set additional pages. The plates could be reused for later printings. (Advertisement, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:272; Gaskell, New Introduction to Bibliography, 201–204.)

Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, May 1890, 259; see also “Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. Robinson was also coeditor and copublisher of the Nauvoo newspaper Times and Seasons through December 1840. Robinson and Don Carlos Smith began publishing that newspaper in 1839 as partners, but their partnership dissolved in “mutual consent” in mid-December 1840, with Smith taking charge of the newspaper and Robinson of the “Books, or Book & fancy printing.” Robinson began editing and publishing the newspaper again in August 1841, following the death of Don Carlos Smith. (“Dissolution,” Times and Seasons, 15 Dec. 1840, 2:256; “To the Patrons of the Times and Seasons,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:511.)

Bray, “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective,” 67–73; Notice, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615. Besides the two structures mentioned, Bray identifies two additional buildings in Nauvoo that housed the printing establishment for a time, but those other buildings were not being used for printing at the time the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants was printed.

Bray, Robert T. “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective on Early Latter Day Saints Printing.” Historical Archaeology 13 (1979): 53–119.

Woodruff, Journal, 3 Feb. 1842. The Twelve had already enjoyed success with printing a number of publications in England, such as the 1840 hymnal, printed in Manchester; the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, begun in May 1840; and the 1841 edition of the Book of Mormon, printed in Liverpool.

JS’s involvement is hinted at in a notice printed in two issues of Times and Seasons in early 1842. After announcing that the office of the recorder (Willard Richards) would be open to receive tithing donations only on Saturdays, the notice explained: “This regulation is necessary, to give the Trustee [JS] and Recorder time to arrange the Book of Mormon, New Translation of the Bible, Hymn Book, and Doctrine and Covenants for the press; all of which the brethren are anxious to see, in their most perfect form.” (“Tithings and Consecrations,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1842, 3:667; 1 Feb. 1842, 3:677.)

The 1844 edition made light changes in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and versification. These changes included employing British spelling for some words, such as “Savior” (Saviour). Aside from adding eight new sections (as discussed later in this introduction), the 1844 edition made only a small number of substantive changes. For example, the phrase “and we beheld and lo, he is fallen! is fallen! even a son of the morning,” which appears in verse 3 of section 91 of the 1835 edition, was deleted in verse 3 of section 92 in the 1844 edition (Vision, 16 Feb. 1832 [D&C 76:27]). The deletion could have been accidental, since there is another phrase ending “son of the morning” earlier in the same sentence. A comprehensive study of the variants between the two editions is beyond the scope of this volume.

The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith. 2nd ed. Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1844. Selections also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).

In what appears to be an end-of-year account, the work of stereotyping to page 409 was recorded on 30 December 1843. (“No 4 Joseph Smith a/c Dr as pr Printing Office Books,” ca. Jan. 1846, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.)

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 7 Nov. 1843; see also Woodruff, Journal, 7 Nov. 1843. A few weeks earlier, a newspaper notice called for donations to support the church’s printing establishment. (“End of the Third Volume,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1842, 3:958.)

Taylor later recalled that before going to Carthage with JS and Hyrum Smith, he removed the “Type, Stereotype plates and most of the valuable things . . . from the printing office” for fear the office would be burned by enemies. (John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, p. 26, Historian’s Office, JS History Draft Notes, [ca. 1840–1880], CHL.)

The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 3rd ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1845); The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Reve[l]ations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 4th ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1846).

though they should not be permitted to dwell thereon; nevertheless, I do not say they shall not dwell thereon; for inasmuch as they bring forth fruit and works meet for my kingdom they shall dwell thereon; they shall build, and another shall not inherit it: they shall plant vineyards, and they shall eat the fruit thereof; even so; Amen.

An organization that supervised the management of church enterprises and properties from 1832 to 1834. In March and April 1832, revelations directed that the church’s publishing and mercantile endeavors be organized. In accordance with this direction, the...

, which I commanded to be organized and established, to be an united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come, with promise immutable and unchangeable, that inasmuch as those whom I commanded were faithful, they should be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings; but inasmuch as they were not faithful, they were nigh unto cursing. Therefore, inasmuch as some of my servants have not kept the commandment, but have broken the covenant, by covetousness and with feigned words, I have cursed them with a very sore and grievous curse: for I the Lord have decreed in my heart, that inasmuch as any [ma]n, belonging to the order, shall be found a transgressor; or, in other words, shall break the covenant with which ye are bound, he [p. 375]

though they should not be permitted to dwell thereon; nevertheless, I do not say they shall not dwell thereon; for inasmuch as they bring forth fruit and works meet for my kingdom they shall dwell thereon; they shall build, and another shall not inherit it: they shall plant vineyards, and they shall eat the fruit thereof; even so; Amen.

An organization that supervised the management of church enterprises and properties from 1832 to 1834. In March and April 1832, revelations directed that the church’s publishing and mercantile endeavors be organized. In accordance with this direction, the...

, which I commanded to be organized and established, to be an united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come, with promise immutable and unchangeable, that inasmuch as those whom I commanded were faithful, they should be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings; but inasmuch as they were not faithful, they were nigh unto cursing. Therefore, inasmuch as some of my servants have not kept the commandment, but have broken the covenant, by covetousness and with feigned words, I have cursed them with a very sore and grievous curse: for I the Lord have decreed in my heart, that inasmuch as any [ma]n, belonging to the order, shall be found a transgressor; or, in other words, shall break the covenant with which ye are bound, he [p. 375]